Iwaku SHATTERED - Redux

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It wasn't difficult to blend into the crowd here, in Fragment City. No one looked out of place, really. The denizens of Fragment City is a motley bunch, coming from all sorts of professions and religions and whatnot. With my dusty jacket and its front zipped up plus the hood pulled over my head, casting a shadow over most of my face I blended into the crowd perfectly. I was just another small-time opportunist who was probably delivering a package - Excalibur, which became indistinguishable after being wrapped in those bandages from one place to another for a temporary employer.

The pace of the crowd was definitely faster than usual, though. Word of an oncoming sandstorm had traveled pretty fast and everyone wanted to find their own shelter before it struck on full force. Heck, I've been forced to pull the front of my jacket up a little when I began to feel fine grains of sand and dust tickle my nose when I breathed.

I wanted shelter, and I wanted food - Dmitri was the best chance I got. The food they sold there was weird, but it was quite edible and in some cases bordering on acceptable. Plus, they weren't sold at exorbitant rates. Sure, it was daylight robbery but at least they aren't asking for an arm or a leg.

Having lived in Fragment City for so long, naturally I knew of it's shortcuts and it was this time I put my knowledge to good use. I ducked into a familiar alley after pushing my way through the crowd, mumbling my apology whenever someone swore or made some form of undesirable noise. No point starting any trouble, especially when a sandstorm is co-

Well fuck me sideways.

"u betta hand dat package over boi" growled a noob that walked into view, brandishing a rusty shiv while his friend tapped a wooden rod with some nails hammered into the end of it.

I really don't have time for this.

"I'm afraid I ca-" I had to give the noob credit. He was rather fast. Diving at me with the shiv, I took his assault with the flat side of my blade at an angle, so that his shiv would cut through the flimsy bandages while I slid one foot forward to block his own, causing him to stumble.

As I swung the blade, the bandages fell off and Excalibur shone in his own terrible glory and clove the noob's head open like a watermelon.

Even before the other could react I was already advancing on him - no point leaving him alive. He might go and get help and I wanted to get to shelter, the Dmitri as fast as possible. Excalibur's enchanted blade sliced cleanly through the wooden rod he had raised to defend himself, biting deep into the side of his ribs, shearing through to the heart and killing him instantly.

I was five steps away before I realised something.

Half a minute later I was counting coins inside my hands. The two dead bodies there weren't exactly needing them.

It was another five minutes later when I practically dove into the Dmitri, my jacket pulled up around my face as much as possible to protect my eyes from the sand brought up by the winds. Peeling back the hood of my jacket to reveal my tanned visage and head of black hair, I proceeded towards the counter right away, my eyes scanning today's menu.

Damn, the Toastman was out. The Toastman was actually one of the more edible foods they sold here.

"I'll have the hot dog and a side of fries."

"It's called the Meatrix, boy."

"But it's just a bloody hot dog and a side of f- Fine, I'll have the Meatrix."

Moments later the food came and I handed over the few coins I took from the noobs that had tried to mug me. I scoffed. Dumbasses.

Looking around the Dmitri I noticed that every makeshift booth had at least five people crowded inside it ... Safe for one, which was only occupied by a single lady. Walking over to it, I gestured at the empty seat with Excalibur, which was once again within a new set of bandages that I had procured on my way.

"May I?"

 
In Dmitri's crowd she felt all the more like nothing. They drained her until she was a mere corpse, performing mere functions so that she wouldn't slump over into an indefinite rest. At least here at the Dmitri, the sand's battering presence was gone. Having been disgusted by the menu, she refused to decide on the least of several evils for awhile. However, she knew that somebody would probably come back, eventually. Anything to get a buck, eh?

Out of the crowd suffocating her came a youth, who pointed at the unoccupied seat within her makeshift booth with his sword. The blade gave her a chill, but that didn't show on her visage. After all, the worst thing she could possibly do was let someone know she even felt a hint of being scared or intimidated. Not wanting to provoke him into using such a weapon, she reluctantly looked at him, barely making eye contact. She uncovered her head, allowing the rest of her disguise to come into view. Replacing the black shawl was her dun hair, the bangs almost concealing her eyes, the straight locks cloaking her face's shape.

"You may."

Summary: Natalie reluctantly lets XC sit down in her booth.
 
There was a small line at the stall, filled with probably a handful of people. Zen quickly took her spot knowing that she would be helped quickly. However Zen had never been so impatient in her life and that trait was drilled into her by the monks. Clutching a hand to her stomach, she read the menu anxiously, frowning at the choices. Under normal circumstances she would have blatantly refused such disgusting food but her mouth was actually salivating. Although, Heavens help her if she got the hot dog. Sure there were people in the villages who didn't hesitate to dine on their pets, but she wasn't one of them.

"Widdiya want?" asked the bulky sweaty man. He wore a much too small chef tote and there were grease stains on his t-shirt. Zen hoped to god that this wasn't Mad Mac.

"Um... I'll have the Punnet of Grapes if you don't mind."

His beady eyes took in Zen's sunken figure, his gaze lingering on her exposed side. "Ye dun't want dat," he growled.

"I don't?" Zen inquired, looking quizzical.

"Ye only got skin and bones on ya. No fruit bowl is gonna help ya wid dat."

The woman reached up and scratched her head. "Well um, I guess Bisque of the North -"

"Nah," he interrupted, his upper lip turning up with his smirk. "Sumthing wid meat in it."

"Oh no I don't normally eat - "

"Well then, this place ain't fer ya is it?" At Zen's offended look he sighed, gruffly. "Look puss, ya ain't gunna be much use less ya got sum meat. Body needs some protein. Besides ya ain't be gonna be able to lift up that sword o' yours neither. So -" he gestured towards the menu, "pick sumthing else."

Looking resigned, Zen placed two fingers upon her temples."Fine... Handmaid's Quail it is."

"Much better. HEY QUINCY, I NEED A BIRDIE SANDWICH, TOUTE SUITE!"

"Comin' up Mackie!"
****

Tearing into her sandwich with gusto, Zen made a mental note to thank the man. He was right - and she would admit it - her body needed the added protein and fat. It wasn't like she hadn't had meat before, it was just something she wanted to avoid whenever she could. Oh but how her taste buds loved it, all that succulent grease dripping down her chin. She used the back of her hand to wipe at her mouth, before remembering her table manners. Clearing her throat, she started to eat slower, listening to Azazel speak.

"I can remember where I came from," she said, after swallowing. "I was born in the village of Anun, and after my family... Passed, I lived in the monastery. Oddest thing though is the monks don't seem to remember much about themselves. I mean there are bits and pieces here and there but there are holes. Big holes."

She continued to eat, every now and then sipping at her glass of water. Tian stood on her thigh, expectantly waiting for scraps to be feed to him. Whenever he chewed though, his eyes were glued on Meds, as if entertaining the thought that his quail was the feline.​
 
"..."

I've remained silent since we entered the rusting metal bucket, and for a little while longer I intend to. The inside is comfortable enough, and I clasp my hands around my knees, using it as a counterbalance to lean back into the air. Since what I can remember of how I came to this place is fragmented, Azazel's story strikes me as both ridiculous and believable at the same time. Or rather, his (it? I really can't decide which pronoun to use) entire existence is ridiculous. But if this ink ... thing can exist, I suppose whatever words it splats on the nearest porous surface should be taken on good faith. As it finishes writing, I can barely stop myself from clapping - in wonder.

In any case, being near these three is beneficial. I roll the silk of the Raiment between my fingers. The pentagram, sewed in with dyed silk thread, vibrates faintly against my fingers. The paradoxes that these three people send out bob in a satisfying, chaotic way, rippling in space-time like a small ping-pong ball that is continuously dipped and rolled in a pool of water. The fractal derived patterns in the scarf catch them, and I grow stronger. Hence, I declined food at the counter. I'm not sure anyone would have offered to pay for me anyways.

The monk confirms why I am feeling particularly chipper: what the hell is an ancient ascetic sect doing here, on this world?

So .. she's a native. The thought causes me to frown. There are people here who have grown up and feel that this is normal. My eyes are drawn to her as she eats, and I take stock of her body, for good measure. What a spectacle. It reminds me ... of what? [Of how I used to eat.] I snort, somewhat condescendingly. Too bad she got convinced to eat fat, I wanted to see what the carbohydrate shock would have looked like. My knowledge seems to be returning. Words, concepts, and wisdom pop back into my repository without explanation. What really, really disturbs me is that I can't tell if I'm missing it or not; either state is so natural. Is this what Alzheimer's patients are like? Ugh, I grimace for real this time. Another word I did not know five minutes ago.

"Tell them your story. I'm sure they'll find it very interesting."
Click to expand...

No. I don't bother talking to Meds this time, and swivel my gaze to the winged girl instead.
 
I nodded my thanks when the girl allowed me to sit - she did seem pleasant enough, although quiet. I couldn't blame her. Everyone around here was quiet. Words, when carelessly spoken could get you killed in this lawless society we live in now. I sat down on the rather uncomfortably makeshift chair that was basically a splintering wooden barrel, hoping that it wouldn't break on me and then I end up with wooden splinters sticking out of my ass after I fall.

"Thank you," I said once again, not sure if she had gotten my nod before, since she had her head covered with a hoodie. I set my food down on the table and I dip a fry inside the red sauce that the man at the counter had said was chili. I took a bite from it and I immediately spat that out - whatever the fuck the sauce was, it was totally rancid.

"Fuck, should've known about anything I don't recognise here," I swore, not really caring that there was a lady within earshot of my words. Excalibur laid on my lap, the bandages that were loosely wrapped around him revealing some of the metal underneath, in all of its splendour.


 
With a nod, he proceeded to sit down. As if she had not noticed, the young man verbalized his gratitude. As long as you're not cuttin' me up with that thing, s'all good, she held her tongue. Once seated, he took a bite out of a fry dipped in some shady red substance. Natalie held back a small smile as he spat it out in disgust.

"Fuck, should've known about anything I don't recognise here," She hoped a bit for his sake (though more for hers) that a waiter wasn't nearby, for that statement by itself would result in a nice little squabble, with the waiter most likely getting chopped up by the sword on his lap, other staff and bystanders along for the fight. A "splendid" possibility.

For once, though, there was not anybody nearby to start a quarrel. Things seemed relatively peaceful, though the thought of what the person sitting next to her could use his sword for clung to the back of Natalie's mind. To try and distract herself, she decided to check her satchel. Opening it, an aquamarine light radiated from within unto her face, making her eyes widen with alarm. She clapped it closed. She snapped her gaze around to see what would happen next. Right now of all times?!?
Natalie suppresses a smile to XC's reaction to the bad chili before checking for something in her satchel, only to realize that the necklace is emitting light. In a panic, she closes it, hoping nobody noticed for long enough to do anything.




 
Lucky for me, the fries were actually made of real potatoes while the hot dog bun tasted relatively fine. It's either made of the real pork or horse. Or dog. I'm gunning for dog. Either way, it was edible and if it hadn't ... Come to think of it, lucky for both me and the bastard who sold me my food at the bar. I could definitely find a way to chop him up into so many little pieces and mail him back piece by piece to this place over the course of a month or two.

The aquamarine light that shone from the inside of the girl's bag caught my attention and my head snapped up. By the time I could look on it directly the girl had already covered up the bag. I didn't speak directly; I didn't want to startle her, of course. My curiosity was piqued but I wasn't about to do anything abrupt that might scare her off. If I had a question I wanted answers, not wailing ladies running in the opposite direction.

Well, most of the time?

"You really should get something else for that," I said, chomping down on the hot dog bun before I continued. "People are attracted to stuff that glows here." I took a bite out of another fry, steering clear of the rancid chili sauce they had supplied me with. "Glowing usually means magic or something unnatural. People like unnatural. They think it can sell for a lot. Usually it's the noobs or the trolls that come along but sometimes something bigger and meaner does."

I shrugged my shoulders, completing my brief monologue while I quickly returned to my food, trying to remember how much money I had left from scavenging from the bodies of the two slain noobs. I certainly could go for more food. The Ham Legend looked like the only other edible thing on the menu. The CrispySlide without the cheese would be okay. Except it had cheese. You never knew where cheese came from, in these parts.


XC sits down, tells the chick to be careful about the necklace. Considers going back for more food.
 
Blu descended, the wind had become well too harsh. He perched himself just outside of the Dmitri's entrance, unable to fly in without crashing into a person going by. The bird felt on edge, though whether it was the necklace going off or the inability to see Natalie was unknown
---------------------

Natalie wouldn't allow herself to tremble like she wanted to. Within the confines of her mind, a childlike incarnation of who she once was seemed to run around, looking for a way out. A tension ticked away at her resolve, a bead of cold sweat on her temples.

"You really should get something else for that," His words filtered into her mind in slow motion, hard for her to register and understand.

He continued his miniature lecture while eating. What she hated the most was that she already knew what he was telling her. She could not control when the necklace went off, but she wouldn't lash out at him for not being aware. As her eyes wandered around, the presence of insects caught her attention. Her nervous eyes went cold once again.

"It doesn't always light up, nor are noobs and trolls new to me." Her low voice struggled to be heard. "I have my ways, just not as clear," It came out almost a whisper as she cast a glance at XC's sword, then placed her right hand on the wooden table.

A spider ascended to the table top and crawled toward her hand. Her pale lips moved without sound as the creature continued onto her index finger. It remained motionless as she lifted her hand from the table. As many bugs and other creepy crawlies as there are in this dump, I think I'll be fine.

Natalie becomes quite nervous, but then somewhat flustered when XC lectures her about things she is already quite aware of. Noticing some insects in the filthy place brings her relief. She informs XC of the erratic nature of the light and then tells XC she does have ways to defend herself. Also, she mouths some words to a spider, getting it to crawl onto her index finger and stay still as she lifts up her hand.
 
"In this Shattered realm, who is?" I replied to her rhetorically when she told me that she wasn't new to the noobs and the trolls. In this land they were everywhere. Scavengers, small-time opportunists that leapt at the remains of bygone battles hoping to find something valuable to sell that hasn't already been taken yet. They disgusted me, but I only dealt with them when they directly conflicted with my interests. I couldn't blame them. If I had nowhere to go and no other path to take I would have also reverted to such a lifestyle, like them.

I let out a quiet but harsh laugh when she glanced at my sword and told me that her methods were not as direct as mine, when it came to defense. "A mage? Or something along those lines?" I said with a grin, though I knew that it wouldn't be that easy for her to talk to me. It wasn't that easy for anyone to talk to another in this world. Blasted world. "He's a beauty." I patted my blade, running a finger along a length of exposed metal.

Curiously I tilted my head at the sight of the spider on her finger. There were many of those around and it was a necessity even to get used to them - but that didn't stop them from creeping me out. There was something about the way they looked, all these bugs and arachnids and crap that just irked me. I wrinkled my nose slightly.

"Any way. What's your name? I'm XC."



Introduces himself, makes a guess at what the girl is, cringes at sight of spider.
 
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